Many modern computing devices, such as personal computers, smart phones, game devices, handheld computers, GPS devices, and so on employ graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to present information to users and to receive user input for controlling the behavior and functionalities of the underlying computing devices and/or application programs. A typical two-dimensional (2D) GUI of an operating system can be described as a “desktop” metaphor. Visually, a 2D desktop of an operating system provides a background plane on which user interface elements (e.g., icons, windows, lists, tables, etc.) provided by software applications and the operating system can be displayed.
Operating systems of the computing devices can support a digital file system for storing and organizing digital information. The digital information can be stored as items, such as “files” in the file system. The files can be organized in various folders or directories. Each folder can include a collection of zero or more files. Each folder can also include other folders. The files and folders in the file system can form a hierarchical structure. A file path can be constructed for each item (e.g., a file or folder) that lists the item's ancestor items (e.g., folders containing the item either directly or through one or more subfolders) in the file system hierarchy, such that the item can be located according to the file path.
The file system hierarchy can include many levels, and each level can include a large number of items. Various schemes for managing the presentation and layout of the file system hierarchy (or portions thereof) on the desktop have been proposed to improve the organization and navigation of the file system hierarchy.